


You're The Disease Pumping Through My Veins.

by DeannaEmrys



Category: Naruto
Genre: AU, Angst, Blood, Death, Gore, Guns, Hospital, Love, M/M, Murder, No Ninjas, Obsessive Behaviour, Police, Serial Killer, Suicide, Tattoos, alternative universe, curse, enermies to lovers, gruesome, major angst, mental issues, no happy ending, no powers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-14
Updated: 2012-07-14
Packaged: 2017-11-09 22:48:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,924
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/459357
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DeannaEmrys/pseuds/DeannaEmrys
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>With All My Foolish Hope.</p><p>This is not a happy story! There is no fluff here be warned! Also no happy ending... well not really! Dark themes. And terribly unbetaed! Hope you enjoy it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

'With all my foolish hope.'

A simple phrase tattooed around Naruto's slender wrist, hidden by an array of brightly coloured braclets.  
Inky black against honey brown skin.

Hidden to everyone but him.

It's ingrained in his mind from now until kingdom come.  
Every elegant curl of each perfect letter burnt into his minds eye.

Hidden to everyone but him.

It's a reminder of a ghost that used to haunt his life, a ghost which now resides in his dreams. A voice to every thought, echoing around the corners and along the empty corridors.

 

\-------

 

The tattoo had been the first thing Naruto Uzumaki had ever brought for himself, had been curled around his wrist the second he turned sixteen and escaped from the orphanage he'd been forced to grow up in.  
Just a simple phrase he lived by when he had nothing but his hope.

Hidden to everyone but him.

It wasn't to commemorate the ghost, even though it was solely his, he hadnt even known him when he'd gotten the tattoo.  
It would be three long, hard years until they would meet; Naruto was nineteen, living alone in a grungy apartment struggling to pay rent.  
Alive, free and studying childcare at a community collage whilst working part time at the local nursery. Not the life he was gunning for but a life all the same.

One wet, mild Thursday in April his life was hit by a hurricane in the form of a tall, lithe boy with messy, black hair and even darker eyes bardging into his apartment and demanding the spare room, throwing around the surname 'Uchiha' and damp fifty dollar bills, and, well, who was Naruto to say no?

Even if sometimes, alone and cold in the night he wishes he'd simply closed the door, the fact that he hadn't would never change. His door would always be open for Sasuke Uchiha.

 

\-----

 

They despised eachother at first, yet even that is an understatment.  
Every word they uttered became a battle of sharp tongues.  
Sasuke eloquent and hypercritical; tearing Naruto down in a clinical manner whilst Naruto was brash and sarcastic, spitting hard truths straight from the heart.  
Slicing at each other until the bones were bared and splintered. 

Sasuke was like pure darkness, an abyss swirling in onyx eyes.  
A natural born preditor who could find anyones weakness's before shoving it down their throats.

Things hidden to everyone but him.

He was so cold he burnt whoever touched him, hardened by a life so different to the one Naruto suffered, a confusing kind of cruel Naruto couldn't grasp.  
Whilst Naruto was bullied and beaten outright Sasukes torture had been all inside his head, twisted words from people who were supposed to love and care for him, before his world caved in and destroyed itself.

After all its harder to have it taken away then never having it at all.

Yet as they laid there, after they had torn eachother limb from limb, when they were both completely and utterly shattered and collapsed on their living room floor it seemed natural for Sasuke to reach over and stroke the tattoo around Naruto's wrist before winding their fingers together.  
It seemed natural when his barriers shuddered and fell, busting open the flood gates until suddenly, suddenly Sasuke was warm, compassionate, a lost, lonely terrified little boy who was desperate for love and comfort. A three dimensional person with humor and heart.  
But only for Naruto, the key to his lock.

Hidden to everyone but him. 

 

\------

 

Sasuke was obsessed with Naruto's tattoo, consumed by the simple phrase and its meaning.  
Constantly tracing the letters with elegant fingers, "This is us," he'd mumble, lips pressed against the fragile skin of Naruto's wrist, "Always."  
Every word like a prayer making Naruto's heart want to explode out of his chest and repaint the walls.

And maybe Naruto was a little too attention deprived, a little too desperate for love to realize that maybe, just maybe their relationship wasn't quite healthy.  
That maybe it was just a little too heavy for two people so young, too intense and, well, obsessive.  
That all the darkness contained in one person was damaging that, being around it would eventually diminish his own light.

But Naruto was foolish and hopeful and Sasuke was beautiful and coverted and HIS.  
His warm. kind, loving, protective Sasuke.

Hidden to everyone but him.

 


	2. TWO

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> GORE! Lots of blood and psycho Sasuke! Just a heads up! :)

There's so much blood.

Where is it coming from? It's everywhere, thick, crimson blood soaking into their dark blue sheets staining them black.

Naruto blinks in the pale morning light, 'I must be dreaming, I'm obviously still asleep.'

He doesnt wake up, he's already wide awake.

Fascinated, he runs his fingers through the pooling liquid, its warm but its already starting to dry, not fresh then.

Naruto balks at a sound from the corner of his bedroom still cast in the shadows.

"Sasuke?"

The porcelin skin of his face is suddenly bathed in light making him look otherworldly as he slowly stalks towards Naruto, still sitting up in their bed.

A tiny smile crept onto the blondes lips before shattering as the rest of Sasukes body hit the sunlight.

There's so much blood. Burgandy on alabaster. Each elegant finger dipped in it, his wrists and arms and the entire front of his white shirt, soaked in the stuff, its dripping onto their carpet leaving ruby puddles.

Naruto's on his feet in a flash, tanned hands searching Sasukes body for the cause, smoothing over flawless skin, pushing the thin cotton of his shirt over his head, disheveling raven hair.

Perfect.

Not a scratch or a scrape, just a fading bruise on a collar bone that Naruto had sucked onto Sasuke's skin himself.

Naruto lets out a sigh of relief, his boyfriends unharmed, still in one piece.

The fear that grips his heart afterwards is mind numbing.

If Sasukes fine then... who's blood is that?

Horrified blue meets black and Naruto's stomach churns sickeningly.

There's no trace of Sasuke in his eyes, just two swirling pools of insanity. It had been locked up tight but it was out now, free to rein where before it had been chained up beneath the surface. Trapped in Sasukes cool, hard, unfeeling exterior.

He was feeling now.

It was terrifying.

It was like the blood had even stained his eyes, they almost looked red in the weak morning light. Naruto wanted to run but he couldnt find his feet.

A deranged smile cracks Sasukes blank face sending shivers down Naruto's spine.

"Morning sweetheart," his voice is as silky as ever as he trails his bloody knuckles across Narutos cheekbones, smearing the golden skin with blood. Naruto holds back the need to gag. "I have a present for you."

Naruto has no idea what the present is but he has a very strong feeling he really doesnt want to find out.

Theres no choice though, as slick bloody fingers wind around his wrist, repainting his tattoo, and drag him from their bedroom, he stumbles and almost trips but Sasuke catches him, cuddles him to his sticky chest, they finally reach the living room and this time Naruto really does throw up, would have dropped to his knees but Sasukes still holding him close, carding long fingers through golden tresses.

Naruto can feel the wide stretch of lips, curving into a smile against his bare neck and the bile rushes up his throat again, spilling onto their once cream carpet.

"Ahh Naru baby, whats wrong, do you not like my gift?" Sasuke almost sings, spinning Naruto in his arms so they're face to face.

Sasuke looks genuinely worried for his well being, all soft and warm and compassionate but theres evil in his eyes, Naruto can see it all. How did he never see it before?

Hidden to everyone AND him.

He starts to shake, a cold sweat breaking out on his forehead as he crumbles to the floor taking Sasuke with him. Sasuke who's holding him like a child, rocking them and whispering sweet nothings into his blonde hair.

"All for you baby, this is for you, my perfect love, you're so beautiful, you never have to be scared again, i fixed everything see, i love you. There's no one to hurt you any more, just me and you forever."

Naruto cant meet his eyes, cant look away from the three dead bodies littering their living room.

He knows them all. Knows their names. Their milky eyes recognize him, he just knows it, there's so much blood.

The one nearest to him is Mr Watanabe, the owner of the orphanage Naruto escaped and it makes sense, he understands why Sasuke would target him, but it doesnt make it right, doesnt justify the gruesome slitting of the mans muscled throat.

The second body, carelessly draped over the coffee table, is a girl from collage, her bubblegum pink hair matted to her pretty face with the blood from a deep gash in her forehead. Sakura Haruno, Naruto always thought she had the most beautiful green eyes, had tried to make friends with her hundreds of times but she was a bitch, made fun of his hand-me-down clothing, turned her nose up at his orphanage upbringing.

It wasnt a good enough reason for her death. She was pre-med, good with children, kind to everyone but Naruto.

The third and last body was also probably the worst, the worst because Naruto was friends with him, had been for a few years, Kiba Inuzuka. Naruto counted him as his best mate, they'd had the same classes for three years, they went out for drinks and bowling and to the cinema. Naruto had met his girlfriend and been to their house for dinner.

He knows why his bodys among the others.

They'd been involved in a bar fight two weeks pryer, Kiba had accidentally hit Naruto and given him a nasty black eye and stitches in his lip. Naruto had laughed it off, it was stupid, a total accident.

Sasuke had been furious.

Naruto obviously hadnt noticed just how much.

Theres a knife still poking out of his chest.

Naruto gags but theres nothing left in his stomach.

This has to be a nightmare there's no way this is happening.


	3. three

There were no signs. No hints. Nothing to betray that Sasuke had snapped. There were no clues that he'd suddenly turn into a serial killer.  
Possessive? Yes. Jealous? Yes. Overly Protective? Sure, but not to the point of murdering anyone who upset Naruto.

If anything the last few months had Sasuke coming out of his shell a bit more. He had attended parties with Naruto, held hands and kissed in public, would smile and even occasionally laugh with someone who wasnt his boyfriend.

It was as if he was melting the icy exterior tiny piece by tiny piece, slowly being fixed by Naruto, his own personal sun.

He had his bad days sure, when he'd shut down completely, even to Naruto, but they always occurred after he'd spoken to or seen his brother.

Ahh, Sasukes brother...

Itachi Uchiha was the splitting image of his baby brother, same sharp handsome features and breathtaking black eyes full of intelligence, never missing a trick.

The brothers were separated by six years and a very different opinion on style, Sasuke was born to rebel the white collar life of his bloodline whilst Itachi was all for designer suits worth more than Naruto made a year.

He came across somehow warmer then the youngest Uchiha, more approachable, more human. He smiled, quite often infact, he remembered details of others lives, he always seemed genuinely interested and would always inquire after a sick relative or a collage course.

He had a beautiful wife, a devoted daughter, a pet husky named Crystal; he ran the family business perfectly, his employees loved him whilst the competition coward in fear.

He was brilliant, friendly, untouchable.

And every word of it was a lie.

Itachi Uchiha was a monster, every silken inch of him, from the immaculate suits that dressed his lean frame to the squidgy marrow in his bones, he was the main person who'd tortured Sasuke growing up. Itachi Uchiha was pure sadistic evil.

It was always there and Naruto had always been able to see it in a way that Sasuke had never hinted at, underneath the surface it was obvious to Naruto that his boyfriend seemed to feel everything but had always been taught to lock it up, hide it away, Itachi on the other hand though, well, Itachi's eyes were as dead as a shark's, he put up a good front but Naruto wasnt easily fooled, he knew men liked Itachi, he'd been raised on the streets by men like him, the so called 'family man', screwing around with people because he could, messing up peoples lives for something to do, murdering people because seeing the light go out of someones eyes made him feel something, at least for a second.

It was obvious in the gentle rise and fall of his voice as he'd 'light heartedly' chaste the baby Uchiha, it was there in the false tilt of his lips as he studied Naruto, it was clear in the way Sasuke would fall into an almost coma once Itachi left their flat; scared and confused and lost in memories of whatever had broken him in the first place.

It was obvious Itachi was a bad man, a killer.

Naruto had never so much as seen Sasuke kill a fly and now there were three dead bodies in his living room.

\-------

Naruto remembers a story Sasuke had told him one night when they'd been curled up in their sheets, Sasukes nimble fingers tracing Naruto's tattoo gently, pressing kisses to his bare skin, he'd called the story 'the Uchiha curse'. Naruto had once thought it was just that, a story, but now, well now he wasnt so sure.

Sasuke had said that the first Uchiha, a humble minor named Madara, had made a deal with The Devil himself to become a great man, a man who had money, and power and control. Madara had been granted his wish but it had come with one simple catch; when The Devil decided he needed Madara's soul he would come without argument, without fuss and without hesitation or there would be grave consequences. Madara had agreed without thought, he was only in his early twenties, thought himself invisible.

Madara Uchiha became a name to be reckoned with, a whole village on their knees, he was feared and admired and a good leader, he married a western princess fourteen years after he made the deal and they had three sons who would eventually continue his empire.

The Devil waited twenty years before he came for him and of course Madara put up a fight, arguing that it wasnt enough time and that he's been tricked, The Devil put him down in a blaze of fury and as punishment for his insolence cursed every Uchiha hence forward to a life of insanity.

Naruto had thought it to be a bit of a morbid story to pass through the generations, he hadnt realized it was actually a warning, hadnt realized it wasnt just a superstitious legend to make the Uchihas feel more important, more powerful, helped along by the Devil himself.

Sasuke had believed it when he'd told Naruto, he realized that now, Sasukes eyes had been wide and honest and scared. Naruto had laughed it off and complained that he didnt know anything about his family, complained that Uzumaki wasnt even his real last name. Sasuke had smiled as if the entire conversation hadnt happened, had promised to make him an Uchiha one day.

He never brought up the Uchiha Curse again.

Naruto would have believed it if Itachi told him, but Sasuke was damaged not deranged like his brother.

Yet there were now three dead bodies on their living room floor.

What the hell was Naruto going to do?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so yeah... let me know what you think! :)


	4. Chapter 4

Naruto chewed on the cuff of his too long shirt as he gazed out of the rain splattered window. He wore everything too long now, shirts, jumpers, anything to cover the tattoo etched onto his skin. Even covered up by bracelets and cloth he could still feel it. The itch of a reminder that went deeper then just his skin.

It wouldnt make a difference if he had the money for laser treatment, even if it vanished from his wrist it would still be there, would always be there in the same way that Sasuke would always have his claws dug into his heart.

He was haunted to the bone.

It had been three years since Naruto had seen or heard from Sasuke and he was still haunted. He would never be able to get the raven off of his skin, out of his clothes, removed from his head.

 

\-------

 

They'd laid in that pool of blood on their living room floor for two hours before the police smashed their door down and put a bullet in Sasuke's shoulder.

They'd thought Naruto was dead he was so still.

He felt dead.

They'd sat curled up in that blood whilst their die hard audience had eternally watched on. Naruto would never wash that blood out of his skin. Would never feel clean again.

The police had hauled Sasuke out of their apartment quicker than Naruto could understand. The paramedics kept throwing around words like 'shock' and 'traumatized' but Naruto couldnt focus on anything, could only see the vacant stares of the dead, could only hear the soothing promises of love that had flowed from Sasukes lips.

 

\-----

 

"Arashi, is there something you want to talk about?"

Naruto was shaken from his thought by the gentle tones of his psychiatrist Iruka Umino, he was still having trouble responding to his new identity.

A small upturning of his lips was all Naruto could offer in means of a smile so he offered a simple sentence instead. "Its exactly three years today that I last had contact with him."

Iruka's expression was suddenly serious, it had been almost a year since Naruto had brought Sasuke Uchiha up in one of their sessions, he normally spent their weekly hour talking about university or something one of the kids at his nursery had done. Iruka had noticed Naruto seemed more jumpy as of late and was constantly tugging his sleeves over his hands.

Iruka lent back in his chair placing his clip board onto the table next to him.

"Oh, is that right?"

Naruto nodded so slightly Iruka would have missed it if not for his years of training.

"Tell me about the last time you heard from him?"

 

\------

 

Naruto hadnt spoken.

It had been two whole weeks since the police found him on the floor of his home entwined with a murderer, surrounded by nightmare and he hadnt spoken one word.

A pretty, blonde, middle aged detective named Ino had told him that their neighbor, Mrs Monroe, had seen Sasuke dragging the bodies into their apartment and had called the cops. She'd asked if Sasuke had showed any signs, made any off hand comments, had any reason to go from a model student to a killer.

Naruto stayed silent.

A friendly yet eccentric doctor with a shock of white hair had asked him for the names of his next of kin, anyone he was close to who could look after him until the witness protection could get him a new identity.

The only people noted on his passport were a Mr Sasuke Uchiha and a Mr Kiba Inuzuka.

Imprisoned.

Dead.

Naruto was as quiet as a corpse.

 

\-----

 

Itachi turned up in his hospital room half way through his third week there, Naruto had tried to scream but couldnt remember how, he felt as heavy as if his bones were filled with lead. As if sensing his panic Itachi held his hands up in mock surrender.

"Hey, hey, hey! I'm not here to hurt you Little Naru, my brother has already cracked, there is no need to push him further." a taunting smirk accompanied his words.

Naruto managed to actually whimper in fear, he tried reaching for the call button but it was above the head of his bed, he was too far away at the foot.

Itachi was right in front of the door, Naruto was trapped, blocked in.

Itachi looked way too much like Sasuke, it was almost too much to bare.

"Calm down, you are not mine to touch, Sasuke gave me something, he wanted you to have this," Itachi waved a think magnolia envelope in front of the blondes face before throwing it onto the bed next to him, "He seemed extremely upset and confused as to why you hadnt visited him."

Having seemingly finished what he come to say Itachi made as if to walk out of the door but turned to face Naruto at the last second.

"He's been sentenced to 25 years, but he is an Uchiha, he wont serve full time, our money will see to that." He paused and Naruto was sure his eyes flashed red for a second, a sickly smile spread onto his pale face showing the madness that lay within, The Uchiha Curse in full effect.

"The first thing he'll do when he gets out is look for you, after all it was his love for you that broke him..."

Dark eyes bore into blue, sending shivers down Narutos spine.

"If you do not wish to be found little Naru, well, you'll had better start running."

 

\-----

 

As soon as Itachi left Naruto was pushing the panic button in a frenzy.

Three nurses, all of whom had been over seeing him, were suddenly hit with an onslaught of verbal abuse and inane rambling.

Naruto hadnt spoken in three weeks yet now they couldnt get the terrified blonde to stop.

"BROTHERS! AND CURSES! AND THE THE BLOOD!! UCHIHA! SASUKE AND BLOOD AND I NEED TO RUN!! HE KNOWS ME! HE'LL FIND ME HELP ME RUN!"

It had taken all three of them to sedate him and even with a needle sticking out of his arm Naruto wasnt quieting until suddenly he was and his world was spinning and swirling and then there was nothing but black.

There was no trace of Itachi Uchiha on the surveillance tapes, no one had seen him or any one to his description.

It was as if he was a ghost... Well either that or Naruto had gone mad.

The hospital decided on mad and that was the first night Naruto met Iruka Umino.

He didnt mention the letter under his pillow.

 


	5. Chapter 5

The letter haunted Naruto almost as much as his tattoo did.  
Of course, he could always throw the letter away but, Naruto was weak, he'd been weakening every day since the night that plagues his nightmares happened.

Naruto had survived the streets, had survived the orphanage and he'd survived for three years with no money, juggling work and school and a ratty apartment.  
He'd survived months of living with a spoilt, emotionless rich boy who hated his guts.  
He'd even survived falling for said boy.  
But surviving without him? That, that was making Naruto weak.

Sasuke had become Naruto's strength, Sasuke was the hand that lead him, helped him, shook him awake softly in the mornings so he wasnt late for work. Sasuke had saved him from bills and starving because he had no money for food that week and from being thrown out onto the streets again. Sasuke had saved Naruto from being alone.  
Sasuke had saved Naruto from himself.

It didnt matter that he was now Arashi Namikaze, Naruto would never grow into that name, it was like a pair of shoes three sizes too big.  
He didnt have the strength, the will to work on his fresh start.  
He was too co dependent, too sick on Sasuke to be able to do anything more than exist without him.

Iruka knew it, that was why he never pushed Naruto to talk, he just sat and listened to the mundane shit that Naruto said his only intention to fill the silence, spewing useless anecdotes to fill the cracks in his life. Arashi Namikaze had become the husk that Naruto hid in, it was Arashi that went to the nursery every day and looked after the kids, it was Arashi that went out for coffee with the other teachers and volunteered at the local orphanage. It was Arashi that lived every day whilst Naruto curled up inside himself, wasting away in the dark. Every little thing that had made Naruto himself was gone and replaced by something false, replaced by something fictional, safe; boring.

Iruka couldnt psychoanalyze Naruto because it wasnt Naruto who turned up to their sessions, it was Arashi.  
Naruto was locked up in his new identity too weak to be anything without Sasuke.

Naruto was refusing to move on and so the letter remained a secret, as hidden from the world as Sasukes real personality had been. 

So, yeah, the letter lived in his bedside table. 

Its presence as heavy as a lead ball around his waist in 20ft of water.

Naruto couldnt walk into the room without his eyes heading straight for it, it was a constant in his mind, forever pounding in his head in time with his heart beats, 'readmereadmereadme', it screamed at him until he clambered out of bed and smoothed the thick paper out onto the sheets.

He knew it word for word now but he would still read it as if he was reading it for the first time.

He wasnt oblivious anymore, this time he knew it was wrong and messed up and so far beyond obsessive it wasnt even funny.

Sasuke was insane, cursed, a murderer, but Naruto was in love with him.

The letter read; 

My Naru,

I miss you so much. This was never part of my plan, being separated from you.  
I told you, warned you, about the curse, but I'm not sorry for what I have done.  
I do not apologize for doing the right thing.  
You've woken up screaming in my arms way too many times because of your nightmares of that orphanage. Mr Watanabe deserved to die, he was a monster, he tortured you and i repaid the favour.  
Sakura had made you cry aswel, more than once. You are too beautiful to ever be that sad, she had to pay.  
As for Kiba, him i do feel the slight sting of remorse for he was your friend but he had no right to hurt you, no right to damage what is mine, it was not his place. I will not stand for you coming to any harm because of some unimportant waste of space.

I thought you would understand, however the lack of visits makes me think you do not. Unless the police wont let you in which case I'm sure Itachi could help, he has people everywhere.  
He's helping me, Itachi, helping me to control the curse, he keeps telling me it was you that activated it, that my love for you was what activated it, his words, not mine. You make me strong, not weak, never weak.

From what I know of the system, the police are probably going to hide you from me. Do not fear though, y'know I could find you anywhere, you could be taken to the ends of the earth and I'd still find you, we're connected after all, our hearts beat as one.

I love you, now and forever.  
I shall be seeing you soon, with all my foolish hope.  
Yours always,  
Sasuke Uchiha  
xxxx

 

Naruto's breathing was shallow and every tired breath burnt his lungs.

Today he was too weak to fight, today he was the last day he could stand being alone, today was the day he'd finally see his beloved, the day he finally lives again.  
With all his foolish hope.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Final Chapter! :) Hope you enjoyed the darkest corners of my mind!

The news had called it a whole manner of things; a coincidence, fate and if they were feeling truly dramatic, destiny.

It was more like a curse, that was the real truth, but no one else could really see it for what it had actually been. 

The day Naruto had chosen to visit Sasuke, the first time in three years, had been the day that Sasuke had decided to escape. 

It hadnt been difficult at all, Itachi had smuggled in an ornate hunting knife with a razor sharp blade and it had been easier than counting to three to murder his way out of the super max prison. 

Nine dead bodies and one tripped alarm system later saw Sasuke sprinting across the prison car park being chased by what seemed to be the entire security force with a complete arsenal.  
Sasuke was giggling, high on adrenaline and the thought of seeing Narutos beautiful face.

The sight of an extremely familiar black jeep pulling into the car park had Sasukes heart stopping in his chest before it actually exploded as the door opened to reveal the most perfect, breathtaking sight he'd ever seen. Naruto.

He had to be hallucinating, there was no way this could be happening.

"NARUTO!" 

Bright blue eyes find his from 200ft, his smile is like a meteor across a jet black sky.

150ft

100ft

"SASUKE!?"  
Naruto's voice is like heaven and Sasuke wants to forever be there.

50ft

10ft

They collide like a ship on the rocks, effectively destroying each other completely as their skin touches for the first time in what feels like a life time and the world stops spinning for one glorious moment. 

There's nothing but bruised lips and labored breathing and the feeling of yes-this-is-what-ive-been-missing-this-is-what-being-alive-feels-like. 

Its impossible to tell who's more damaged, the one with hands smeared with blood clutching at a knife with the same intensity he holds his beloved or the innocent boy who had been corrupted, brain washed, completely rewritten and all the happier for it.

Reality crashes down like thunder striking the desert floor as a bullet whizzes through the air, slamming into Sasukes shoulder from behind, arching his back, jolting his whole body forcing the blade through the soft golden skin of Naruto's stomach, through flesh and sinew, piercing any organs it reached on its way. 

The scream that tears itself from Sasukes throat makes the hair stand up on the officers arms. Its feral and broken. Inhuman.

Its the beginning of the end.

 

\-----

 

He sort of always knew it would end like this. They had always been destined to destroy each other. 

It was like some sort of twisted poetry that ended exactly as it had been written, the perfect final curtain.

He can see the headlines in his head, 'Tragic Modern Day Romeo And Juliet'.  
With a bloody twist.  
Such a gruesome twist.

The knife sticks awkwardly out of Narutos flat belly and he knows enough about medicine to know that abdominal wounds are notoriously dangerous.  
Theres more blood than he's ever seen before staining his skin and dying his orange shirt crimson and thats really saying something.

Sasuke's arms are tight around Naruto's waist, one above his wound and the other below, his hands are sticky with blood and theyre shaking, pulling Naruto to his chest whispering everything he's ever wanted to say before they run out of time. 

Naruto wants to tell him that its okay, he's almost free but he cant find his voice with all the blood in his lungs.  
He wants to tell Sasuke that he's already made peace with dying even if it isnt quite how he planned it, lying on the gravel in the middle of a prison car park with Sasuke's hand around the hilt of the knife as it dove into his stomach like a bird's beak through water.

Naruto had always known Sasuke would be the death of him.  
Maybe not his physical death but he knew theyd be eachother's demises.  
He had already been Sasukes.

"Oh my god Naru I'm so sorry! I never meant to! Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit! Dont leave me, you cant leave me! I'll tear this world apart! Stay with me Naru, stay right here with me. I love you, i love you so, so much..."

Naruto smiles and his mouth is full of blood, he can feel it trickle out over his lip and down his chin.

"Its okay baby," he wants to say, "I'm fine now, I'll always be here with you, I love you too."

He knows Sasuke knows, how could he not?

Naruto's so far gone he barely notices the circle of twenty police men, pointing their guns and screaming at them, at Sasuke. 

He was sure they were there a minute ago, the force of their bullets to Sasukes shoulder had caused his hand to slip, had sent the blade into Naruto's stomach, he was almost sure of it but now, now everything was hot and blurry, like the whole world had become a sauna and his eyes, the windows, were steaming up from the inside out.

Three skull shattering loud bangs sound from somewhere far away and then there's a soft, moist pressure on his cheek that makes him think of Sasukes lips on Sunday mornings and then it starts to rain, triggered by one final bang. The support at his back collapses and Naruto goes with it, he's cold now, cold and sticky and there's someone calling his name but he's just too tired to care. The darkness is calling him too and he's pretty sure Sasuke is waiting for him so that's where he'll go, where he'll always go.

Cerulean eyes flutter closed for the last time and finally there's peace.

 

\------

 

All four bullets hit their marks. 

Three embedded in the policemen who shot Sasuke, made Sasuke hurt Naruto. They crumble instantly, dead before they even hit the floor.

Sasuke cant stop the tears as he takes in Narutos battered and bloody form. 

Soothing pink lips wet with salty tears press to the sun kissed skin of Naruto's cheek.

The muzzle of his gun it resting against his temple. 

And with nothing but his foolish hope to comfort him, he pulls the trigger.

Maybe they'd meet on the other side, but Sasuke doubts an Angel like Naruto will end up where he will.

He hopes anyway, its all he has left.

Finally he fades with Narutos comforting weight in his arms and his coy, shy smile in his mind.

 

\------

 

Its a tragedy, the papers say.

They were so young, held so much potential.

Such a waste.

A real shame.

A modern day Romeo and Juliet, (or Julian considering their genders).

The whole nation has a sorrowed filled comment on the subject. 

Itachi knows better though, he smiles softly as he folds up his newspaper that has his baby brothers photo printed on the front page and takes a sip of his whiskey. 

His little brother has been freed, his curse lifted, his ankles unshackled.

Its not a tragedy but a blessing.

The universe had been kind, it had brought Little Naru to him in his final moments.  
Destiny had helped them survive, to live, if only for one eternal minute.

Itachi stands and crosses the room, throwing the paper into the already burning fire along with a hidden letter and watched the pages curl and blacken.

Not all who are cursed have been so lucky.

The thought warms his other wise icy heart.

"Goodbye little brother, keep Naru happy."

 

le fini!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading :)


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